Before the Coffee Goes Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

A basement café in Tokyo provides a refuge of sorts for a variety of regular customers, as well as the three people who work there – Kumi and couple Nagare and Kei. But it is more than this; urban legend says it is possible to go back in time there. There are strict rules and great risks and the experience will not change the present, but many people want to try it. This is an intriguing concept, executed in a series of vignettes that detail each different kind of time travel experience and how it affects the traveller. Deep issues are touched on – dementia, family dysfunction, a dangerous pregnancy, but not explored in any actual depth. It is a slim book, but a slow read, possibly due to the translation; it takes a long time to get a sense of the characters and the shape of the story, which is nevertheless quite predictable.

The Madame Blanc Mysteries - series 1-3, Acorn TV

After her husband’s death in a car crash in the south of France, English antiques dealer Jean White finds their business affairs are a mess and her only remaining asset is their cottage in St Victoire. But Rory’s death may not have been an accident and Jean finds herself stuck in town while she investigates what may turn out to be a serial killer with the help of a local ex-pat taxi driver. Former soap actress Sally Lindsay must have been frustrated at the lack of roles for older women, as she created, wrote and produced this ‘cosy crime’ series. Like its antecedent Death in Paradise, there are rather too many murders for a small town and it is a relief to have a few different crimes thrown in to the mix in series 3 , but the antiques aspect is always interesting. Malta works well as a stand in for the south of France, but there are a suspiciously high number of English expats, especially from Manchester, in the area and while it is refreshing that several older women have feature roles, the lack of young people after series 1 is very noticeable. There is a series 4, which may finally move forward with the annoyingly unresolved relationship between Jean and her taxi driver, but may also prove to be flogging a dead horse.

Whisky Valley, by Joan Sauers

Historian Rose is still suffering the aftermath of the first novel she featured in, Echo Lake, when virtuoso violinist Billy Mah is found murdered in her patch of the Southern Highlands. Best friends with her son Sam as a kid, Rose feels a responsibility to look into Billy’s death, despite the concerns of friends, family, the local police and her therapist. The NSW southern highlands are again almost a character in the story, brought to life evocatively. The prologue, which is actually the climax to the story, is an annoying and unnecessary screenwriter’s trick. But this is an easy read of short, sharp chapters and an appealing everywoman heroine.

Stone and Sky, by Ben Aaronovitch

Wizard and Detective Sergeant Peter Grant, his river goddess partner Beverly and their two-year old twins are meant to be on holiday, but find themselves accompanied on a trip to Scotland by his parents, his Dad’s jazz band and the Folly team for investigating weird bollocks. They are looking into reports of a large black panther, possibly supernatural, and find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. The victim had gills and is connected to the water-based fae communities in and around Aberdeen. The disappearance of an academic who is researching extending the life of fossil fuel resources may also be connected. Luckily Peter gets to work with the usual pragmatic local copper, smoothing the path, but his apprentice cousin Abigail’s blooming romance could prove to be hindrance or help. These dark fantasy stories, grounded on a base of routine police work, are always a delight, although occasionally get a bit bogged down in descriptive detail. The alternating POV between Peter and Abigail adds to the tale, but gets a tad confusing at times.

Your Friend and Mine, by Jessica Dettmann

Twenty years after the death of her best friend Tess, Margot receives a legacy and a quest. Leaving her busy Sydney restaurant and complacent husband for a short visit to London to chase a lost dream, Margot finds a new friendship and the space to question her life and dare to think of a different future. It’s a bit of a leap to believe that the young women could have forged such a deep and enduring friendship in six months of knowing each other, but after suspending that disbelief much else rings true. It is refreshing that the story does not pursue the obvious romance, but the twist at the end again stretches credulity and undermines the integrity of the main narrative, which deals movingly with grief and paths not taken.

The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Avallon Hotel in the mountains of Virginia is a luxury spa resort that caters to every whim of the rich and infamous. Protégé of its owners, the Guilfoyle family, June Hudson has been the General Manager for 10 years, devoting her entire life to keeping the magical waters sweet and the hotel in balance. When the attack on Pearl Harbor draws the US into the war, the Avallon is commandeered to house enemy diplomats prior to their deportation. June is stretched to her limit, dealing with the FBI, the Feds, her unwelcome guests and the staff, many of whom she is losing to the draft. Can she keep it all together until the hotel is rid of its enemy aliens and will life ever return to what passes as normal at the Avallon? War changes everything, including June, and she finds herself questioning her priorities and her future. This is a strange tale, based on true events but with a magical twist and a very engaging heroine.

The Names, by Florence Knapp

Cora is married to a violent and controlling man, Gordon, who presents to the world as a charming and lovable GP. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Maia, who is already showing signs of damage from this toxic relationship. Gordon has instructed Cora to register the birth of their new son with his name and that of his father before him. But Cora wants to break that tradition and call her son Julian, while Maia would like him to be called Bear. What follows is three versions of the same story with quite different outcomes that hinge on the naming decision. They trace the fate of the family every seven years – Sliding Doors meets 7-Up. The children take very different paths in each story, but suffer consequences of domestic violence in all of them. The dark subject matter is written with sensitivity and intelligence, capturing the voices of Cora, Maia and the three boys and examining the impact on their family and those around them with clarity and empathy. A film version would be interesting.